Coded tape controlled vending machine



Dec. 12, 1967 MITITAKA YAMAMOTO ET AL 3,357,530

CODE'D TAPE CONTROLLED VENDING MACHINE Filed July 19, 1966 Fig] 3a 43b43C 43d4 15yen Oyen zoyen INVBNTORS- rflrrrnka MHAHcro H/ROO AKAHArsuUnited States Patent O 3,357,530 CODED TAPE CONTROLLED VENDING MACHINEMititaka Yamamoto and Hiroo Akamatsu, Kyoto-fu, Japan, assignors toTateisi Electronics Co., Kyoto-shi, Japan, a corporation of Japan FiledJuly 19, 1966, Ser. No. 566,295 Claims priority, application Japan, July29, 1965, 40/45,?83 Claims. (Cl. 194-4) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Avending machine which performs functions, such as services or thedelivery of goods at different prices, upon the operation of a selectorswitch and the insertion of a tape casing enclosing tape provided withvalue marks. The tape is drawn into the machine housing until a sensingunit in the housing counts the number of value units corresponding tothe selected function, whereupon drawing-in of tape is terminated, thedrawn-in tape portion is cut off, and the machine is released to performthe function paid for by the value marks on the tape.

Background of the invention This invention relates to vending machines,and particularly to a vending machine which performs functions, such asservices and the delivery of articles at different prices.

It has been proposed heretofore to operate such machines by means ofcards carrying a plurality of value marks. In operating the knownmachine, the card is inserted and the desired function is selected,whereupon the machine cancels as many value marks as correspond to theselected function and performs the function, and the card is withdrawn.

However, the number of value marks that can be provided on such a cardis relatively small, the mechanism necessary for cancelling the marks iscomplex, and the cards are readily damaged when carried by the owner soas not to operate the vending machine properly.

It has now been found that the shortcomings of the known devices can beovercome by the use of a continuous tape as a carrier of value marks.

Other features and advantages of the invention will hereinafter becomemore fully apparent from the following description of the annexeddrawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic of the control circuit of a vending machine of theinvention;

FIG. 2 shows the vending machine in fragmentary side elevationalsection;

FIG. 3 illustrates a tape for use with the vending machine in plan view;and

FIG. 4 illustrates a modified tape drawing device for the machine ofFIG. 2 in front elevation.

Referring initially to FIG. 3, there is shown a tape carrying uniformlyspaced marks 11 of contrasting shading. By way of example, it will beassumed that each mark represents a value of 5 yen.

As is shown in FIG. 2, the tape 10 is normally coiled on a shaft 21 in amagazine or case 20. The free end of the tape coil is trained over aguide roller 22 and ex tends outwardly of the case through a slot 23.Two felt pads 24 in the case 20 near the slot 23 frictionally engage thetape 10 to prevent its spontaneous discharge. The discharged tape passesover an external face 25 of the case 20.

During operation of the vending machine, the case 20 is inserted in anoutwardly open receptacle or cavity 31 3,357,530 Patented Dec. 12, 1967ice 0f the vending machine housing 30, and is releasably retained in thecavity by springs 32,

An inlet slot 33 of the housing 30 is aligned with the face 25 of theinserted case 20, and a drive roll 34 clamps the free tape end againstthe face 25. When the roll 34 is turned, the tape is drawn from the case20 and fed to the vending machine proper. In the housing 30, the tapepasses in sequence between guide rolls 35, the blades 38 of a cuttingdevice, the elements of a photoelectric sensing device 37, andadditional drive rolls 36. The operating arm of a microswitch 39projects into the cavity 31 so that the switch is closed by insertion ofa case 25.

FIG. 1 shows the control circuit of the vending machine, which is nototherwise illustrated since it may be entirely conventional. Five pushbutton selector switches 41a-41e are mounted on a front panel of thehousing 30 and are labeled 5 yen and so on in increments of 5 yen to 25yen, as shown with reference to the device of FIG. 6. The switches areconnected to a pulse generator 42 and to an OR gate circuit 49. When oneof the switches 41a 41c is closed, the generator 42 releases one pulsefor each unit of 5 yen to a counter 43 having five output terminals 43ato 432.

The photoelectric sensing device 37 is connected to a similar counter 44having output terminals 44a-44e, and transmits a pulse to the counter 44in response to each sensed value mark on the tape 10. Five AND gatecircuits 45a-45e are connected to the corresponding output terminals ofthe counters 43, 44. They are conditioned by a signal from thecorresponding terminal of the counter 43 to respond to a signal from theconnected terminal of the counter 44 by transmitting a signal to acommon OR gate circuit 46. The latter is connected to the counters 43,44 to reset the same to zero in response to the received signal, andalso to emit signals to a function releasing mechanism 47 of the vendingmachine, to the magnetic actuator 48 of the afore-mentioned blades 38,and to a flip-flop circuit 51.

The microswitch 39 and the afore-rnentioned OR gate circuit 49 areconnected to the input of an AND gate circuit 50 whose output is alsoconnected to the flip-flop circuit 51 which energizes the drive motor 53for the rollers 34 and 36 through an amplifier 52.

The afore-described apparatus operates as follows:

When the vending machine is to perform a service, such as washinglaundry, or to deliver an article sold, the customer inserts his tapecase 20 into the cavity 31 of the machine whereby the switch 39 isclosed, and the gate circuit 50 is conditioned to energize the motor 53as soon as one of the switches 41a to 412 is thereafter closed by thecustomer. Tape 10 is drawn from the case 20 by the drive rollers in thehousing 30, and the value marks on the tape are sensed by thephotoelectric cell of the device 37. Let it be assumed that switch 41d,corresponding to 20 yen, was closed.

The gate circuit 45d which is conditioned by the counter terminal 43dsupplies a terminating signal as soon as a signal corresponding to fourcounted value marks is received from the terminal 44d of the counter 44.The signal causes the counters 43, 44 to be reset to zero. The flip-flop51 is switched to deenergize the motor 53, the tape 10 is cut by theblades 37 operated by the magnetic actuator 48, and the releasingmechanism 47 permits the machine to deliver an article whose price is 20yen or to perform a corresponding service, the article and service notbeing themselves relevant to this invention.

The free end of the tape carrying four value marks drops into anon-illustrated receptacle in the housing 30, and the customer mayremove his tape case 20 from the cavity 31. It will be understood thatthe machine performs a function worth 5, 10, etc. yen when suitably setby 3 means of one of the push button switches 41a to 41e, and that itstops drawing tape from the case 20 and cuts the drawn tape whenevervalue marks corresponding to the selected value have been drawn into thehousing 30.

The visible marks 11 on the tape may obviously be replaced by marks inmagnetic ink, and the photoelectric sensing device 37 may be replaced bya conventional magnetic tape head, .Tape may also be provided with valuemarks by punching, and the punched holes may be sensed in a conventionalmanner. The tape may also be assigned a specific value per unit oflength, and its length may thus constitute a value mark which can besensed.

. In the embodiment of the invention described herein above, the tape.10 is drawn into the housing 30 by means of the motor 53, but thevending machine of the invention is readily modified to avoid the use ofa drive motor for the tape.

As is shown in FIG. 4, a drive shaft 61 may be journaled in the vendingmachine housing 30 and coupled to the rollers 34, 36 in a manner notfurther illustrated. A knob .60 on the shaft 61 permits the rollers tobe turned manually, and a scale R on the vending machine indicates thevalue of the tape drawn into the machine by the turning of the shaft 61.The value marks on the tape are sensedas described above and make theapparatus ready to operate when the customer closes the appropriateswitch 41a-41e.

As mentioned above, the disclosed mechanism may be employed fordelivering articles sold or for performing services, such as those of awashing machine, or it may serve in an automatic ticket checking machineto control the opening and closing of an automatic door.

Operation of a vending machine of the invention merely requires thecustomer to insert his tape case and to push one button and perhaps toturn one knob. The unused portion of the tape is well protected in thecase and cannot be damaged in a manner that could interfere with smoothoperation of the mechanism.

It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing disclosurerelates only to preferred embodiments of the invention, and that it isintended to cover all changes and modifications of the examples of theinvention herein chosen for the purpose of the disclosure which do notconstitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention setforth in the appended claims.

What is claimedz I A 1. A vending machine for selling the performance offunctions at a plurality of selling prices, said machine comprising incombination, a tape case enclosing a tape having specified value marksthereon, a receiving cavity portion adapted for receiving the tape case,said receiving cavity portion being formed on a housing of the toterminatethe operation of the tape drawing means,

said terminating means conditioned by the operation of a selected switchand actuated by the sensing means, whereby operation of thetape drawingmeans is terminated when value marks corresponding to the selling priceof the desired function are sensed and counted by the checking means, acutting means to cut the tape drawn out and function releasing means torelease the desired function, said last two means controlled by theoperation of the terminating means.

2. A vending machine for selling the performance of a function at aplurality of selling prices, said machine comprising, in combination, atape case enclosing a tape having value marks thereon, a receivingcavity adapted for receiving said case, said cavity being formed in ahousing of the machine, a plurality of selecting switches correspondingto the selling prices of the desired functions, tape drawing means todraw tape from said tape case, sensing means to sense and count thevalue marks on the tape being drawn, terminating means conditioned andactuated by the operation of a selected switch and by said sensing meanswhen the value marks sensed by said sensing means corresponding to theselling price corresponding to the selected switch, cutting means to cutthe tape drawn, and function releasing means to release the desiredfunction, said last two means being controlled by the operation of saidterminating means.

3. A vending machine as set forth in claim 2, wherein said function isthe delivery of an article. 4. A vending machine as set forth in claim2, wherein said function is a service.

5. A vending machine as set forth in claim 2, further comprisingmanually operated means for actuating said tape drawing means, andindicating means for indicating the amount of tape drawn.

No references cited.

SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Primary Examiner.

1. A VENDING MACHINE FOR SELLING THE PERFORMANCE OF FUNCTIONS AT APLURALITY OF SELLING PRICES, SAID MACHINE COMPRISING IN COMBINATION, ATAPE CASE ENCLOSING A TAPE HAVING SPECIFIED VALUE MARKS THEREON, ARECEIVING CAVITY PORTION ADAPTED FOR RECEIVING THE TAPE CASE, SAIDRECEIVING CAVITY PORTION BEING FORMED ON A HOUSING OF THE MACHINE, APLURALITY OF SELECTING SWITCHES CORRESPONDING TO THE SELLING PRICES OFTHE DESIRED FUNCTIONS, A TAPE DRAWING MEANS TO DRAW OUT THE TAPE FROMTHE TAPE CASE RESPONSIVE TO OPERATION OF ONE OF THE SELECTING SWITCHES,SENSING MEANS TO SENSE AND COUNT THE VALUE MARKS ON THE TAPE BEING DRAWNOUT, A TERMINATING MEANS TO TERMINATE THE OPERATION OF THE TAPE DRAWINGMEANS, SAID TERMINATING MEANS CONDITIONED BY THE OPERATION OF A SELECTEDSWITCH AND ACTUATED BY THE SENSING MEANS, WHEREBY OPERATION OF THE TAPEDRAWING MEANS IS TERMINATED WHEN VALUE MARKS CORRESPONDING TO THESELLING PRICE OF THE DESIRED FUNCTION ARE SENSED AND COUNTED BY THECHECKING MEANS, A CUTTING MEANS TO CUT THE TAPE DRAWN OUT AND FUNCTIONRELEASING MEANS TO RELEASE THE DESIRED FUNCTION, SAID LAST TWO MEANSCONTROLLED BY THE OPERATION OF THE TERMINATING MEANS.